Dierks Bentley works hard, but he also plays hard. When he’s off the road, not in the studio and not being Dad, you might find him sporting ice skates playing with his hockey team, The Iceholes, riding the highways on his motorcycle…or in the air piloting a plane. What? Yes, the “Home” singer has his pilot’s license and enjoys meandering through the clouds on a rare day off. “It’s something I started off doing like fifteen years ago, but it was expensive and time consuming. It took me like three years to get my pilot’s license, although I soloed after like seven hours,” Dierks explains. “I really did enjoy it. It just took a while to get the license…the last fifteen years, I’ve had to focus really on music. But I had about a month off between last year’s tour and recording and getting ready to go back out again, and I just really got into it and spent the last of my little time off just letting a different part of my brain get used.”

• Dierks is getting ready to release his new album, Home, on February 7th. The collection includes his latest Top 10 hit and title cut, “Home.”

AUDIO: Dierks Bentley talks about getting his pilot’s license.

Dierks Bentley (pilot’s license) OC: …now and then. 1:10

“I just really love doing the safe things like motorcycles and airplanes and playing hockey. It’s great. It’s just a totally different – it’s something I started off doing like fifteen years ago but it was expensive and time consuming. It took me like 3 years to get my pilot’s license, although I soloed after like 7 hours. I really did enjoy it. It just took a while to get the license. But then the last fifteen years I’ve had to focus really on music. But I had about a month off between last year’s tour and recording and getting ready to go back out again, and I just really got into it and spent the last of my little time off just letting a different part of my brain get used. It’s just great. It’s really fun having a little mission to fly to a gig and I’m the kind of person who really likes driving. I like being in the driver’s seat. I can be on a big airplane and still be nervous. I don’t like being in the back not knowing what’s going on. I just like being – I guess it’s a control thing – but I do like being in control, flying things or driving things or what not. It’s just the personality I have. It’s been really fun. It’s a great feeling up there and it’s a really cool thing being able to do every now and then.”